Massachusetts is a state located in the northeastern United States.
The state’s economy is diverse, with agriculture, fishing, manufacturing, and tourism all playing important roles.
Massachusetts farms produce a wide variety of products, including dairy products, vegetables, fruits, nursery plants, and flowers.
The state’s farmers take advantage of the temperate climate and long growing season to produce crops that are sold both domestically and internationally.
The fishing industry is also important to Massachusetts, with the state’s waters yielding lobster, scallops, clams, haddock, and cod.
US Plant Hardiness Zone
Before we move forward, let us understand the US Plant Hardiness Zone Map of the state.
Plant Hardiness Zone Map for Massachusetts
Climate
Massachusetts has a mainly humid continental climate with warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters.
Southeastern coastal areas show shades of a humid subtropical climate with relatively mild winters.
Summers have comfortable temperatures between 70- 85°F at the peak of July.
Winter temperatures vary significantly across regions, with five to fifteen days of subzero temperatures in the western mountains.
Precipitation
The average annual rainfall in Massachusetts ranges from 40 inches along the coast to 50 inches in the western division.
Thunderstorms bring local precipitation in the summer, while winter storms bring icy rain and snow.
Snowfall is heavy in the winter and ranges from 25 inches over Cape Cod to 80 inches in the west.
At least one snowstorm in the winter registers greater than 5 inches of snowfall.
Soil Type
The map that follows shows the ecoregions of the state.
Now let us see the soil order distribution across the state.
Soil Order Of Massachusetts
| Soil / Sub Order | Location | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Inceptisols/Aquepts and Udepts | Aquepts in some parts of the northeastern coastal zone while Udepts are found all over the state | 1. Aquepts are wet Inceptisols. 2. Udepts are mainly freely drained Inceptisols that have a udic or perudic moisture regime. |
| Spodosols/Orthods | In the northeastern highlands. | 1. Orthods are the relatively freely drained Spodosols with a moderate organic carbon accumulation in the spodic horizon. |
| Entisols/Arents, Orthents and Psamments | Arents and Orthents in the northeastern coastal zone while Psamments in the Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens. | 1. Arents do not have diagnostic horizons because they have been deeply mixed by plowing, spading, or other methods of moving by humans. 2. Orthents on recent erosional surfaces. 3. Psamments are sandy soils. |
| Histosols/Hemists | In the northeastern coastal zone and Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens | 1. Hemists are the wet Histosols in which the organic materials are moderately decomposed. |